1980  ·  Reggae  ·  Roots Reggae  ·  1980s  ·  UK  ·  12-inch LP

Uprising was Bob Marley’s final studio album, released in June 1980 just months before his death, and stands as one of the most emotionally charged farewell statements in popular music history. Featuring the acoustic masterpiece ‘Redemption Song’ and the buoyant ‘Could You Be Loved,’ it transcended reggae to become a global cultural artifact. As Marley’s last recorded testament, original pressings are among the most emotionally resonant and collectible items in any serious reggae vinyl collection.

🎶 Track Highlights

Redemption Song, Could You Be Loved, Forever Loving Jah, Zion Train, We and Dem

💰 Album Pricing

Standard UK and US first pressings typically sell for $20–60 depending on condition, with NM copies commanding the higher end. The original UK Island pressing (ILPS 9596) in VG+ or better regularly fetches $40–80. German and Japanese pressings are also prized by collectors. A sealed original UK pressing can exceed $150–200 at auction, and rare promo copies have sold for $200+.

📖 Album Notes

Uprising was released on June 10, 1980, by Island Records and became an instant commercial and critical success, reaching #6 on the UK Albums Chart and charting internationally. The album produced two landmark singles: ‘Could You Be Loved,’ a disco-inflected reggae crossover that hit #5 in the UK, and ‘Redemption Song,’ an acoustic tour de force that remains one of the most quoted and covered songs in popular music. The latter’s minimalist arrangement — just Marley and a guitar — was a radical departure from the lush band sound of earlier albums, lending it an urgent, prophetic quality that only deepened in light of Marley’s death in May 1981.

Recorded at Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, and mixed at Island’s Basing Street Studios in London, Uprising was produced by Chris Blackwell and Alex Sadkin alongside Marley himself. The sessions carried an atmosphere of spiritual urgency; Marley had already been diagnosed with the melanoma that would claim his life, though this was not widely known at the time. The band — including Carlton Barrett on drums, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett on bass, Junior Marvin and Al Anderson on guitars, and the I-Threes (Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths) on backing vocals — delivered some of the most cohesive and spiritually focused performances of their career.

Culturally, Uprising arrived at a moment of global political turbulence — Reagan’s election loomed in the US, apartheid gripped South Africa, and post-colonial struggles were ongoing across Africa and the Caribbean. Tracks like ‘We and Dem,’ ‘Zion Train,’ and ‘Pimpers Paradise’ addressed these realities with clarity and conviction. The Uprising tour that followed became one of the most celebrated of Marley’s career, culminating in a legendary performance in Milan in June 1980 before an estimated 100,000 fans — one of the largest concert audiences of the era.

For vinyl collectors, the most desirable pressing is the original UK Island Records release (catalog ILPS 9596), identifiable by its pink/orange Island label with ‘i’ logo. The original Jamaican Tuff Gong pressing is exceptionally rare and commands significant premiums. German Ariola pressings and Japanese CBS/Sony pressings are also prized for their superior pressing quality and are frequently sought by audiophile collectors. US pressings on Island Records (ILPS 9596) are more common and offer an accessible entry point. Collectors should inspect the matrix/runout area for hand-etched identifiers confirming early pressings.

As the final studio album from one of the 20th century’s most iconic artists, Uprising occupies a unique position in vinyl collecting — it is simultaneously a musical culmination, a spiritual document, and a historical artifact. The album’s cover art, depicting a Rastafarian figure rising triumphantly from roots and earth toward a glowing sun, has become one of reggae’s most recognized visual icons. Sealed original UK or Jamaican pressings are considered grail-level items, and even well-played copies retain strong emotional and market value among collectors worldwide.

📋 Record Details

Artist	Bob Marley & The Wailers
Album	Uprising
Label	Island Records
Catalog #	ILPS 9596
Format	12-inch LP
Release Year	1980
Edition	Original 1980 First Pressing
Pressing Region	UK
Vinyl Color	black
Speed	33 RPM
Sleeve Condition	VG+
Vinyl Condition	VG+